🪩 Welcome to the Back from the Past Game Jam!

What if the charm of pixelated arcades, chirpy Tamagotchis, and dusty VHS tapes met the future of AI-powered creativity? This jam is your portal into that hybrid dimension. Use Sitebrew to create games that blend the vibes of the past with the tools of tomorrow.

Whether you're inspired by clunky dial-up era Flash games, neon-drenched 80s aesthetics, or mid-2000s Game Boy nostalgia—this jam is your playground. The theme is optional, but your heart isn’t. Let’s see what your memory and imagination can conjure together.

🗓️ Event Details

• Start: Friday, May 23rd, 8PM EST
• End: Saturday, May 24th, 8PM EST
• Duration: 24 hours of caffeinated, pixelated brilliance
• Platform: Sitebrew
• Communication + Submissions: Join the Discord Server

🌌 Backstory: From Tape Decks to Neural Nets

In an alternate timeline, AI-powered game engines have emerged… but they're clunky, raw, and full of charm. Like the first VHS tapes or pixel-pushing consoles, today’s AI tools are primitive—but packed with promise.

This Game Jam is a time capsule from the future. A moment where we look back and forward at once. A place where a story-driven platformer can feel like a lost Flash game from 2004, yet be born entirely through today’s creative AI pipelines.

This is your chance to experiment with those retro roots, reimagined through the lens of modern game creation.

🧠 The Theme (Optional, but Rewarded)

Modern Nostalgia
Make games that feel like a memory you didn’t know you had.

Use it to guide your concept or ignore it entirely. But just know—it might just be your ticket to a winning spot.

🏆 Prizes

1st Place – $100 + 1 Year of Sitebrew Pro

2nd Place – $70 + 1 Year of Sitebrew Pro

3rd Place – $30 + 1 Year of Sitebrew Pro

Winners will be announced in the Discord and featured on the Sitebrew blog.

📋 Judging Criteria

Your game will be evaluated on the following:

• ✨ Creativity – Unique mechanics, visuals, or narrative ideas
• 🎮 Playability – It’s gotta feel good to play
• 📼 Nostalgia Factor – (Optional) How well does it evoke retro vibes?
• 🧵 Story & Theme – How emotionally or thematically engaging is your game?
• 🚀 Polish – Visual presentation, audio, bug-free experience